You Gotta Listen

Slot canyons are everywhere in Southern Utah. We’ve written about them plenty of times like here and here. And of course there are the super famous canyons in places like the Zion National Park. Obviously, these are great places to explore and play in (safely), but if you slow down for a moment or two, you just might hear something magical – the Sounds of the Canyon.

The Narrows in Zion National Park. Photo by Anna Sullivan via unsplash.com.

Life is All Around You

The deserts of Southern Utah are surprising teeming with life. Unfortunately, it’s all just really good at avoiding humans. So not everybody realizes the world of flora and fauna that surrounds them when they are out hiking. This page on the Capitol Reef website has a (mostly) complete list of all the animals that live in this area. Be sure to check out that link before your next trip to the park. But out of the myriad creatures that you might encounter when exploring slot canyons, we wanted to highlight one of our favorite: the canyon wren.

Here he is! Our friend, the canyon wren! Photo by iStockphoto.com.

Little Guy, Big Song

The canyon wren is a songbird that inhabits most of the American Southwest. It loves rocky outcroppings, cliffs, and, unsurprising, canyons. As you can see, it’s coloring helps it blend in to the sandstone environments where it resides. Which might make it difficult to spot when you’re maneuvering a squeeze in a slot canyon. But not to worry, because even if you can’t see the little fellow, he will likely put on a show for you. The canyon wren has a truly beautiful, and quite loud, song. And he likes to perform. So stop for a moment and see if one will start singing the next time you are canyoneering.

Can You Give Us A Sample?

We’re glad you asked! It just so happens that we recorded a canyon wren this summer. The quality is only so-so (all we had was an iPhone) but it will give you a good idea of what to listen for when you’re out there. Plus, it’s very cool! Just click that little play button below to hear our 20-second clip:

You just might hear a canyon wren in Antelope Canyon. Photo by Dirk Spijkers via unsplash.com.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful

There is something sublime about the connections you can suddenly make in the natural world. The joy and magic of experiencing a wren’s serenade is something that is hard to capture in a quick blog post. It makes you feel lucky – special, even – that you, yes you, got to hear a song in person what most of the world will never get to hear. A concert for the chosen few. It also tends to make the listener feel linked to all the life around them, in all its forms most beautiful. And then it’s over, and you pack up and go home…

But you return a little bit changed.

This is where we heard the canyon wren. Photo by Red River Ranch.